FroZENYo with a babe

Yes, it's a fad and I am totally into it. I liked frozen yogurt before the topping-madness pay-by-weight places erupted, but now I love it. Because you see, it's really for me about a ratio of berries : yogurt 1:1, and these places let me do it. I feel like I am doing something really bad getting $4.50 worth of juicy, fresh, raspberries on my little pile of yogurt for $3.75. But not so bad I won't continue to do it. I must admit, however, that FroZENyo on 9th street threw me off a bit with their fantastic 98% fat free peanut butter yogurt. As a nursing mom I am more into the 102% triple cream yogurt, but this was damn tasty.

Good for kids? Um...yes, if you keep their little paws off of the yogurt machines or you are going to owe them $22 for a couple of giant creations no one will eat. Alexander is still to little for all of this and was contented with the plastic spoon.

Oyamel with the babe

Here's Nana with the babe while mom stuffs her face with flambeed cheese.

Geez...ever since Michelle Obama became infatuated with this place it's been impossible to get a table at Oyamel. Even at lunch on a Tuesday. I said some whiny thing about this and they smiled and found us a table. Basically so I could get my tequila flambeed Chihuahua cheese fix. They seem to like babies here, and the food is fantastic, fun, and exactly what you want it to be because of the small plates concept. Besides the cheesy-goodness we enjoyed the gazpacho salad of fruits, radishes and queso fresco which was nicely balanced with tart orange juice as a dressing, and my father enjoyed the grasshopper taco. Perhaps just to say he had eaten it, or perhaps it was actually good. We'll never really know.

Good for baby? Sure, it's a happening place, small plates, fun things to look at. Not a romper room, but nothing so austere they wouldn't want children around. I'm sure we will be back many times as it is one of our regular pit stops.

Ray's Hell Burger with a baby but without a burger....

So I don't eat mammals. It's a whole discussion for another day, but in bringing the copious family I have in town to Ray's Hell Burgers I got something delicious anyways. That picture is a burgerless burger, a brioche bun with Irish cave-aged cheddar cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, roasted garlic, charred jalapenos, roasted onions, and a bunch of Ray's Heck sauce. Damn it was good.

Kid friendly? Well, it's crazy in there for sure, but there are no changing rooms, no room for a stroller, and this is a meal you must eat with two hands. But it's probably worth the hassle!

Farm to Table in Gettysburg

It wasn't DC, but it was a lot of fun. As part of the Gettysburg Festival last weekend we went to the Blues, Brews, and Barbecue event. Outdoors at the restored train station, it was a steamy night, but the endless cold microbrews, the 'cue, and the music made for a great night. I was expecting some sort of aluminum trays full of meats and stuff, but it was a thoroughly lovely affair complete with a baby who ended up on the table after we had all stuffed ourselves and the music played on....

The restored train station:



One of my plates of food (hey, I'm eating for two):



Piglet was almost for dinner when he ended up on the table to enjoy the music:

Teaism is tasty but lifeless at dinner

After trying to get a table at Central, Oyamel, Rasika, and Nando's we ended up eating at Teaism. I like Teaism-- they serve tasty, fresh food on nice plates and for a good price. I like it a lot for lunch. I like it a lot less for dinner. For some reason this isn't a popular place for dinner. Is it the basement location?

It was quiet when we went there, and therefore a bit suspicious in the kid's eyes. The chicken curry was delish although indefinable as to it's origin, but I thought the seitan stir fry covered with handfuls of macadamia nuts was even better. The thing is, it's all pretty passable and for sure a place where you will get a seat. But just don't expect it to be too much fun.

Good for baby? Yes and no. He would have preferred something with more of a buzz, but there is a fish pond. At lunch it's more of a business crowd. There are clean bathrooms and plenty of good food options for kids and adults alike, and it certainly isn't fancy. If you have a stroller the upstairs seating is very limited and there isn't an elevator for the main dining room.

Eventide: Lucious for Mommy and Baby

Brunch is the magical meal for baby and parents. It's a nice meal, different and more special than brunch, more leisurely, but it's also a time when baby is happier and no one is bothered by them being there. Not that anyone ever would at Eventide, where they even have a separate baby changing room from the bathroom. But did I mention the food?

We took my in-laws, visiting from Ireland, there on Sunday for father's day brunch. It's such an elegant place, the towering ceilings and exposed brick, long drapes, crystal chandeliers and the plush booths with "car doors". If the kid was older than 10 weeks he would have loved the booths!

My chicken and biscuit with maple sage gravy was notable, hot fresh, rich and a nice balance of sweet and salty. The chicken was perfectly cooked but at times over breaded. The whole plate was huge and I had lunch today. Others enjoyed their pork belly hash and eggs and the roast beef sandwich and fries, knowing that the quality of the meat was good and local. The fries are perfectly cooked with herbs and sea salt and make me hungry right now!

Baby-friendly? Yes, and openly so, with a baby care room, cup covers and a patient staff. They even have a kids menu plan on the evenings with healthy options.

Surfside is made for families

Hectic and delicious, Surfside on a Saturday night has the buzz of a good bar with the atmosphere appropriate for children, and food to please anyone. I think about the shrimp tacos, plump and served with pineapple salsa, fresh avocado and yellow coconut rice at times and wish it was closer to us. It's a delicious combination and a memorable one. I would wager to say that it is some of the best shrimp in the area, and for only $10 it's a true steal. All of the food I have had is fresh and high quality-- it's Mexican-ish without the soupy cheese and grease, it's really quite a healthful meal.

It was so loud in there we couldn't speak to each other, but the piglet found it highly amusing and the adults were happy to munch away. The wait for a table and people hovering around, coupled with the noise, means that we will come back again on a weekday when it is much quieter.

Baby friendly? Absolutely, and it's adult friendly, with a great bar and fantastic food, plus foos most children would love. Oh, and they have parking!

Dangerously (slow) Delicious Pies with a sleepy babe

After the maddness at the Biergarten Haus we stepped into the relative peacefullness of Dangerously Delicious pies, mainly for their promise of free coffee with any slice of pie. The whole combo sounded pretty tasty.

We had seen them before at the farmers market but hadn't been tempted. We settled on the apple crumb pie and a decaf coffee. Yum. Pie and coffee.

We weren't in any rush at all, but the service was a bit humorous. We were the only people in the joint, and it literally took him 10 minutes to cut the piece of pie. The babe went from happy to cranky to half asleep in the amount of time it took. We were kind of chuckling. So, I finally asked if we could have a cup for the coffee to get that started, and he asked if we wanted the pie warmed up. Again, we weren't in a hurry so we said sure. I liked it that they heated it in the oven, but it took forever. Babe fell asleep and when I went to look for the pie again my husband pointed out that it was now on top of the oven and sitting there...

Child-friendly? Sure, its a pie place and it seems like a good place for a little one. Very informal, but also quiet if they make a fuss so screams probably aren't going to go over well. Oh, and kids like pise, right?

Anyways, the pie was good. Dangerously delicious? No. Special? Not really. The apples were crunchy and not gloppy, which I like, but the sweetness could have been balanced with more aromatic cinnamon or lemon zest. The coffee was good, and the whole combo was perfect for the evening. I wouldn't be surprised if you find us back there at some point, but taking home a pie for $30 we won't be.

Biergarten Haus opening with a babe

"Yes, it's strictly 21 plus ma'am and I'll need to see your ID"......"Oh, is that your baby? Of course you can bring him in!".

There was a line out the door and the place was packed. Honestly, we hesitated before entering the madness, but then the bouncer told us to run in and grab a table which had just become vacated in the window. That we did, and started looking at the menu amidst the madness.



Hesitation #2: "Sorry, we are out of everything but three beers..." We found this out after perusing their extensive menu selection of German beers on tap. Oh well, we are flexible people to even come here with a baby, right? At $12 for a litre of beer and $8 for a half it isn't cheap, but we were there and it looked like fun.

I have to give the Biergartn Haus some credit. First, their style, food menu, and beer menu is unabashedly German. Not some German-inspired American cuisine, not a trendy German with a modern twist, there isn't even a hamburger on the menu. Straight up German as it has been in Germany, and I like this. Secondly, they seem to be holding it together pretty well for the opening. They were friendly and accommodating although you could tell they were tired (the place opened early for the world cup games).




The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't cheap. I'll be back for the crusty and chewy pretzel rolls with mustard sauce. The spaetzle with emmentaler and caramelized onions was fresh and flavorful, but not a bargain at $16, although the braised cabbage with it was tangy and sweet and sour and excellent. My husbands turkey schnitzel was true to form and was, as he put it, "as advertised".

Child-friendly? Yes, they even had highchairs. The outdoor section should entertain children well and the atmostphere is hectic enough they could likely wander around and not bother anyone. The noise inside would cover even the biggest fit. The queue was way too long to check out the loo.

The piglet found this place very amusing. In fact, he got so over stimulated by the whole thing he slept almost the whole night through. It was almost a miracle, and enough to make me want to drag him to every noisy, crazy, bar opening in town.

Inspirations: Thanks, Todd and Nancy

As a "young adult" I had lots of ideas about how I would parent. Some of those ideas vanish as soon as you are, in fact, a parent, but when it comes to food I am sticking to my guns. I have seen far too many parents fall into the trap of feeding their children a bland, benign, and non-nutritious selection of narrow foods. We aren't going to go there.

I am determined to raise a child who will eat almost anything almost anywhere. The can have their preferences, but I expect that food off of any restaurant menu at any venue should offer enough variety to find many things they would enjoy. I know it isn't going to be an easy road but I am sure with the effort and support I have it is in fact possible. I want a child who can ask for inari or a pupusa and pick up a bottle of sriracha and know what to do with it. After all, I ate what was served to me as a child and adored blue cheese and lima beans and spicy foods.

There have been some wonderful inspirations for me out there. Todd Kliman, the Washingtonian food writer, has inspired me as I have followed the adventures he has had with his son who is about 2 years old at this point. After the birth of Alexander, he mentioned in an email that soon enough we would be going out again, and that stayed with me in the early days when I felt we would never leave home again (until he was 5 days old when we went out for lunch and I was a nervous wreck).

I have also been inspired by Nancy Tringali Piho, the author of My Two Year Old Eats Octopus. This book is a must read for any parent planning to dine out with their child frequently and is an entertaining and insightful read written by an experienced parent. Some of the best parenting and pregnancy advice I received was to not read too much, and I obeyed this. Besides Dr Sear's Baby Book this is the only parenting book I have read!

Lastly, in my travels all around the globe I have seen children eat just about anything, and with gusto. These experiences have allowed me to eradicate the idea that a baby or child needs only bland, sweet or fatty foods and can in fact ingest and thrive on a spice and flavor filled diet.

I hope Alexander is along for the ride, because it is going to be a fun one!

Ray's the Steaks East River: Much more than steaks

The smoked fried chicken at Ray's the Steak's east river is nothing short of a miracle. For a few reasons...one is that the juicy, salty, smokey meat is perfectly fried and flavored. The 25 minutes sipping wine before it arrives (as they warn you) is well invested in the jalapeno cornbread.

Secondly, it costs me about $11 for an organic, free-range bird at the grocery. At Ray's it's $11.95 for half a bird plus a leg, a salad and two sides. How is this possible?

Lastly, and not least, is that this place is amazing-- and I mean it. It isn't a fancy place transplanted into a very different neighborhood from where it "belongs". This is a local place, with local people, local staff and (somehow) a local vibe. It's a family restaurant kind of like the places in NH I used to go as a kid -- but the food is really good, almost too good. We took my parents here and they loved it.

There are a few missteps- a turkey burger comes "dry" with none of the ordered toppings both times we got it. Another night, a steak ordered "blue" comes back medium, hardly pink (a new steak was out quickly when it mentioned it). The precision isn't similar to the Silver Spring and Arlington locations. Lastly, while their wine list is reasonable and excellent, they could use a decent micro brew on tap.

Did I mention I can get there in 12 minutes on back roads? I kept saying to my husband over and over that we could go here once a week, twice a week, why cook anymore!

Child-friendly? As I mentioned, it is welcoming and nice for children, although it is a quiet place so screams would have to be outside. No one seemed to mind our little one fussing. And all of the sides would be good choices for children.

For us, the best part is that Piglet loves it here, and Ray's openly welcomed our little one on a busy Friday night and there were even other babies there. He adores the ceiling fans, and if he ends up outside on an especially impatient night he can chat with the copious men and women in uniform. Oh, and there is even a baby friendly restroom. A family-friendly local place with amazing food in NE DC / PG County!!!

Not a surprise we have been here more than any other place since he was born.

Mediocrity at Monterray

With both of the boys asleep (the big and the and little one) at 7:30pm from a long day to top off a long week, I knew we needed something local. Where can get go within 10 minutes at 7:45 on a Friday with no wait, fresh food, and something to drink? We ended up at Monterray Mexican in Bowie, a locally owned place. They were sweet and friendly with the piglet alseep in the sling, and our food came in about 3 minutes after ordering. The watery sauce, American cheeses, and salty blandness were almost forgiven for the friendly staff, immediate seating, and the 34oz beer which was only $5. Almost, but not quite.

Child-friendly? Absolutely.

Co Co Sala with a babe

We were fairly sure that going to Co Co Sala with two little infants was a bad idea, but the need to feel young and free again and eat too many desserts overcame our sense of reason and we went to Co Co Sala for Sunday brunch. The hostess didn't seem to think it was a bad idea and seated us in a comfy area with velvet couches and pillows. So, before we even get to the food, there were some big plusses with the softs seats, pillows for nursing, and private area.

The amuse bouche was a warm cinnamon chocolate donut which was divine, but it was completely overshadowed by the main courses. It's a nice thing when a dessert restaurant takes their food seriously, and highlights were in many of the savory dishes. The truffly grilled cheese reminded me of Friendly's as a child, but the truffle paired with the spicy tomato soup was a perfect earthy balance to all of the sweets. The crabcake was spicy and crunchy, and unlike many places which brag about their crabcake being only crab and no filler, this one was full of fresh herbs, crunchy bits of veggies, and serves with a chocolate salsa. It was different from the norm and well received buy the table. Lastly, the cheese souffle was airy and rich and delicious. None of the entrees were sespcially large, and I was just barely full at the end of the meals, but very happy.

We were happy we had chosen savory entrees when the desserts came. I hogged the chocolate covered peanut butter cheesecake which I am still thinking about, but the chocolate flan with toasted marshmallows was also a hit.

The babes had drifted into some kind of chocolate heaven and were sleeping on the velvet couch on and off and we were able to stay for more than 2 hours, our server kindly letting us know that no one was waiting for the table and to stay as long as we wanted. When they weren't sleeping, they were kept quiet by the busy din and the contrasting shapes and tvs playing images of chocolate.

Child-friendly? Perhaps, if they are well behaved and will stay put. This is not a romper room in any way. They like the colors and lights, and we liked the private velvet couches for nursing and napping the little ones. As mentioned, the changing situation is not good, but this place sure can make the parents happy!

Turns out Co Co Sala was a delicious place for the babes, and if it wasn't for the only changing space for them being a damp place under the sink (!) it would be a baby regular. Not that they would want to be overrun by babies, but they couldn't have been more friendly. Piglet is already asking for more of that chocolate covered peanut butter cheesecake milk again...

About our reviews

Reviewing dining with a baby is different than writing a standard food review. And while we eat out frequently, have for years, and have experienced and varied palates, we aren't professional food critics. We aren't professional parents, either, but we are making a go at it. There are a few different aspects of eating out with baby which have become important to us, and these are some of the criteria we will use to review a restaurant.

We also want to point out that we don't tend to go to "child friendly" places like your typical chain, or anywhere there are crayons and place mats. We tend to frequent a variety of types of restaurants, but mainly they are either ethnic restaurants, "trendy" city restaurants / fine dining restaurants, or places for convenience since we live in PG County and there are limited options here.

Some of the things we are looking for in our reviews:

FOOD: If the food isn't good, then well, there's no point. There may be parents who will forgo a tasty meal for a place where their kids can get the food they like the best, but at this point, this isn't us.

NOISE: We're on the other side of the fence from Tom Sietsema in that we are looking for places with higher decibels. We now see why parents love 2 Amys since it's so loud in there every child realizes that there is no point in crying or screaming since no one will hear them anyways. A restaurant with a nice buzz gives you a bit more wiggle room with a noisy baby.

WELCOME VIBE: Does the hostess look at you like you are bringing a KFC bucket into their restaurant when you walk in with your baby? The way the staff treats you with a baby can make a big difference, and this starts at the door.

SEATING: Have you ever tried nursing or playing with a baby in a tight booth, the little ones head banging against the table? That said, a booth has more privacy, and chairs can be tricky for nursing. A variety of seating is a plus.

POTTY: I don't need a changing table, they are more of a "bonus", but I do need a shred of clean floor or counter to change the kid on. Bonus points for changing areas in the daddy's bathroom spaces.

HOURS: Alexander loves brunch, and appreciates a restaurant who can serve a fine meal before the possibly more difficult and tenuous nighttime hours.

BABY SIGHTINGS: As I mentioned, we don't tend to go to typical baby restaurants, so to see other parents and happy babies can be comforting. They are at least worth a mention.

LIGHTING: And other enticing things to stare at are plusses in the baby category. I know that no one designs a restaurant to entertain a baby, but restaurants which are completely bland and unintereting seem to bore them. A variety of lights, contrasts, colors, and the ever delightful ceiling fan all get a few extra mentions.

Dining after "the arrival"

That last vodka martini I had in the courtyard of Poste on a toasty summer night in July of 2009 seems like a long time ago. Since then, the joys of abstaining from alcohol but saying yes to double desserts as my pregnant form emerged and the frequent inspection of every restaurant bathroom have kept me busy. Not quite as busy as I have been with the arrival of Alexander Finn (aka Piglet) in April 2010.

We (my husband Richard and I) love to eat out. All sorts of places, styles, elements and tastes are welcome. We are determined to have Alexander grow up with comfort around maitre d's, chairs of all shapes and sizes, and music from just about every genre and volume piped into his dining environment. And once he is ready to eat along side, to venture into the territory of "adult food" as soon as he can chew it up.

Today he is 9 weeks old, getting big already and deeply voracious for his perfectly blended and warmed milk from the mommy. We've already managed to do quite a bit of dining out in his first weeks, starting at 5 days old. Here is a run down of Alexander's first dining out places, in no particular order. As times goes on I will try to go back and write about some of these places, but at this point moving forward it about all we have time for.

9 Weeks of Dining:
Ray's the Steaks East River, Deanwood (3x)
Eventide, Arlington
Clydes, Columbia
Teaism, Penn Quarter
Nando's Peri Peri, Penn Quarter
Kennedy Center Brunch, Downtown
Nava Thai, Wheaton
Pollo Fiesta, Hyattsville
Franklin's, Hyattsville
Qdoba, Hyattsville
Co Co Sala, Downtown
Sushi Sono, Columbia
The New Deal, Greenbelt
Mark's Kitchen, Takoma Park
Roscoe's, Takoma Park
Pho 88, Beltsville
Silver Diner, Greenbelt
Panera, Bowie
Baked and Wired, Georgetown
Taylor Deli, Atlas district
Sou'wester, DC